Mid-Week Rides: Panoche

At Saturday brunch Dick and I talked about a mid week ride since it had been a while since the last. Dick thought he had Thursday free, so a ride was scheduled. WWWobble through out a suggested route: Livermore, Mines Road, Patterson, Santa Nella, Panoche, Paicines, and home with breakfast at in Livermore about 9:00 AM. I mapped the route and we pretty much rode the planned route, but bypassed Hollister on the way home.

A link to the full plan was sent to various mid-week riders with a description reading: leave San Mateo at 8, Breakfast in Livermore about 9. Home 250 miles later. That was a pretty accurate synopsis. Dick was wrong about being free that day and missed the ride. Maybe next time.

WWWobble and I left a chilly (46F by my thermometer) San Mateo a little after 8. I managed to hit every red light but one on the way to the restaurant. That way we didn’t get there too early. Eric pulled up as we were removing our riding gear. We ate. We rode. We took a very few pictures then rode some more. Almost 300 miles by the end of the day.

WWWobble had to take a picture of the pink trees. The only U-turn of the ride was to go back to see the pink trees.

(1) Pink tree, Mines road

Pink tree, Mines road
f/5.8 1/200 0 ev 17.3mm

(1) Mines Rd

Mines Rd
ISO 200 f/8.0 1/500 0 ev 75.0mm

(1) WWWobble

WWWobble
ISO 200 f/8.0 1/400 0 ev 85.0mm

(1) More Pink trees

More Pink trees
ISO 200 f/8.0 1/400 0 ev 20.0mm

(2) Welcome to the Junction

Welcome to the Junction
ISO 200 f/8.0 1/100 0.67 ev 35.0mm

We also stopped at the Junction where this guy gave us a friendly greeting. It was warm enough to shed a few layers of clothing and fill up on fluids before continuing on down the road.

Eric and I had not been on Little Panoche or Panoche Road before. Finding a new road makes for the best kind of mid-week rides. Having a place to stop is just icing on the cake.